Prague

Franz Kafka once wrote of his hometown: “Prague won’t let go. This little mother has claws.” You understand what he meant the moment you arrive. The Czech capital draws visitors in quietly — through world-class music, perfectly poured beer, and streets that seem lifted from a fairytale.

Its skyline tells the story first. Church spires rise in every direction, earning Prague its nickname, the “City of a Hundred Spires.” From the hilltop Prague Castle, often considered the largest ancient castle complex in the world, the city spreads across red rooftops, domes and Baroque façades along the winding Vltava River.

For centuries Prague has stood at a crossroads of ideas and imagination. Alchemists once worked beneath the castle, astronomers studied the skies, and composers filled its halls with music — a creative spirit that still lingers today in street musicians, artists along Charles Bridge, and the hourly spectacle of the Astronomical Clock.